Our chapter opens with the vision of the dry bones, and continues from there to the prophecy of the unification of the tribes and the future Davidic kingdom. In this section, we examine the verses where the Holy One, Blessed be He, commands the prophet to proclaim to the people that the current situation is not final, but temporary, and that in the future everything will be restored to its former glory. This prophecy carries two meanings: a literal meaning, that Techiyat HaMeitim (the resurrection of the dead) will indeed take place, so that people who think death is the final word and there is no further restoration will know that the dead are destined to live again; and a second meaning, that these words are an allegory whose referent is the nation as a whole - the exiled, scattered, bowed, and suffering nation in its diaspora will rise again, will once again have a monarchy and leaders, and the national body will return to functioning as a complete and living entity.
לָכֵן הִנָּבֵא וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵיהֶם כֹּה אָמַר אֲדֹנָי יֱהֹוִה הִנֵּה אֲנִי פֹתֵחַ אֶת קִבְרוֹתֵיכֶם וְהַעֲלֵיתִי אֶתְכֶם מִקִּבְרוֹתֵיכֶם עַמִּי וְהֵבֵאתִי אֶתְכֶם אֶל אַדְמַת יִשְׂרָאֵל׃ - Therefore prophesy and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am opening your graves, and I will raise you from your graves, My people, and bring you to the land of Israel.
Chazal debate the fate of those who died outside the Land of Israel: some say they will rise outside the Land and journey to Eretz Yisrael on foot, while others maintain that there will be gilgul mechilot - they will traverse subterranean tunnels beneath the earth and rise here in the Land of Israel. Included in this discussion is the generation that perished in the wilderness, led by Moshe Rabbeinu, a matter that is itself subject to dispute.
Here we find a fascinating point in our chapter: the Radak deduces from the verses that the resurrection will take place there, in the diaspora, and they will walk to the Land on foot; whereas the Malbim deduces the exact opposite from these very same verses - that there will be gilgul mechilot. From this we learn that both opinions in Chazal are anchored in the biblical text. We hold a general principle that there is no true contradiction in the words of Chazal, especially in matters of Aggadah; rather, each perspective reflects a distinct aspect. It may be that certain righteous individuals will merit gilgul mechilot while others will not; or perhaps it depends on the spiritual standing of the Jewish people - if their merit is great they will experience gilgul mechilot, and if not, they will arise and travel on foot. Both dimensions are true, and there is no contradiction.
How does the Radak deduce this? The order of the text is: "Behold, I am opening your graves, and I will raise you from your graves, My people," and only afterward, "and bring you to the land of Israel." First He opens, then He raises them up, and only then does He bring them to the Land. If it were through gilgul mechilot, the verse should have stated first, "and I will bring you to the land of Israel," and only then, "and I will open your graves and raise you up," since it is there, in the Land, that He brings them out of the earth. Therefore, resurrection precedes arrival.
וִידַעְתֶּם כִּי אֲנִי יְהֹוָה בְּפִתְחִי אֶת קִבְרוֹתֵיכֶם וּבְהַעֲלוֹתִי אֶתְכֶם מִקִּבְרוֹתֵיכֶם עַמִּי׃ - And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and when I raise you from your graves, My people.
וְנָתַתִּי רוּחִי בָכֶם וִחְיִיתֶם וְהִנַּחְתִּי אֶתְכֶם עַל אַדְמַתְכֶם וִידַעְתֶּם כִּי אֲנִי יְהֹוָה דִּבַּרְתִּי וְעָשִׂיתִי נְאֻם יְהֹוָה׃ - And I will put My spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you upon your land; then you shall know that I the Lord have spoken and performed it, says the Lord.
The Malbim explains: one must continue reading the verses. Two verses after "and bring you to the land of Israel," the text says, "And I will put My spirit in you, and you shall live" - when does the spirit enter them? Only after they have arrived in the Land. And if the spirit enters them only here, how did they arrive? It must be through gilgul mechilot, for without the spirit of life, they could not walk on foot. Thus, the Malbim deduces the exact reverse of the Radak: "and bring you to the land of Israel" occurs via underground passage, while the breathing of the spirit into them takes place here, in the Land.
Note the precise wording: "Behold, I am opening your graves" - without the words "My people" - and only afterward, "and I will raise you from your graves, My people." Why does the word "My people" appear only at the end? The Malbim explains: from here we learn that there will be two groups. Chazal state that rising to eternal life is reserved exclusively for the righteous, whereas the wicked will not merit enduring resurrection. Therefore, the opening of the grave is stated generally, as it applies to everyone, whereas the raising up is addressed to "My people," designated for the righteous, who will merit to rise from the grave and endure in everlasting life.
And why will the others arise? Regarding this it is stated: "And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to reproaches and everlasting abhorrence." Their rising is solely so that they will see everything and realize what they forfeited, and then return to their dust. The soul, after all, is never destroyed, and this anguish will accompany them to reproaches and everlasting abhorrence - they will realize how foolish they were for not doing the will of Hashem, but by then it will already be too late.
According to the parable, the nation as a whole is like dry bones, and they feel as though they are lying in a grave - "Our hope is lost." A sick person has hope; perhaps he will recover. A dead person is gone; all that remains is to recite Kaddish. Therefore, the Holy One, blessed be He, says to them: "When I open your graves, My people" - the subjugation you are currently in, the siege and distress, the suffering from enemies and the exile, that is the grave in which you dwell, and I will open this grave, and you will arise from those graves. They will emerge from the siege and distress, return to the Land of Israel, and there merit the restoration of monarchy.
Opening the grave, bringing the dead out of it, and ascending to the Land - none of this is natural in the least; it is a miracle that is a wondrous marvel, and therefore "you shall know that I am Hashem." To be sure, after two or three days of the Resurrection of the Dead, we would already become accustomed to it, and people would casually ask one another whether so-and-so has arisen yet or not, and it would seem natural to us; but in the initial stage, that is not the case, and the recognition of Hashem will be clear for all to see.
According to the approach of the Radak, where they had already ascended from their graves and walked on their feet, a difficulty arises: why does it say, "And I will put My spirit in you," only after their arrival in the Land? Perforce, this cannot refer to the soul and the spirit of life, for they had already received that when they arose from the grave. Rather, it refers to the spirit of intellect - understanding and knowledge, along the lines of "for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of Hashem, as the waters cover the sea."
And what is the meaning of "that I, Hashem, have spoken and performed it"? The Malbim explains: "I have spoken" - that you are destined to be brought back to life; "and performed it" - already in the days of Yechezkel, in the vision of the dry bones that actually came to pass. And since I already performed it back then, you can certainly understand that the future holds such an occurrence, for the One who performed it then is the One who says it will happen in the future. Even back then you should have known that I am Hashem, and when it is fulfilled in practice, you will know it completely - just as I spoke and performed in the past, behold, it is materializing before your very eyes.
וַיְהִי דְבַר יְהֹוָה אֵלַי לֵאמֹר׃ - The word of Hashem came to me, saying:
After the Holy One, blessed be He, described to the prophet how the bones would come to life, how the spirit would return, and how the people would return to royal leadership, He now comes to describe to him the nature of that leadership in that post-Resurrection era - an era unlike any that came before.
וְאַתָּה בֶן אָדָם קַח לְךָ עֵץ אֶחָד וּכְתֹב עָלָיו לִיהוּדָה וְלִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל חֲבֵרָו וּלְקַח עֵץ אֶחָד וּכְתוֹב עָלָיו לְיוֹסֵף עֵץ אֶפְרַיִם וְכָל בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל חֲבֵרָו׃ - And you, son of man, take for yourself one stick and write upon it: 'For Yehudah and for the Children of Israel his companions'; and take another stick and write upon it: 'For Yosef, the stick of Ephraim, and all the House of Israel his companions.'
This is an additional command, and it is a continuation of the first prophecy. On one stick he is to write, "For Yehudah and for the Children of Israel, his companions" - and Yehudah's companion is Binyamin. And on the second stick, "For Yosef, the stick of Ephraim, and all the House of Israel, his companions" - and Yosef's companions are the remaining ten tribes. And why are they called by Yosef's name? Because when the kingdom divided, two leaders stood at the helm: Rechav'am the son of Shlomo from the House of Yehudah, and Yarov'am the son of Nevat who was from the tribe of Yosef. Thus the kingdom was split, with Yosef and ten tribes with him at the head of one, and Yehudah and two tribes with him at the head of the other.
וְקָרַב אֹתָם אֶחָד אֶל אֶחָד לְךָ לְעֵץ אֶחָד וְהָיוּ לַאֲחָדִים בְּיָדֶךָ׃ - And bring them close to one another to become one stick, and they shall become one in your hand.
He should bring them close to each other, and as he holds them they will miraculously fuse and become a single stick - those that were separate and individual will join together in his hand.
וְכַאֲשֶׁר יֹאמְרוּ אֵלֶיךָ בְּנֵי עַמְּךָ לֵאמֹר הֲלוֹא תַגִּיד לָנוּ מָה אֵלֶּה לָּךְ׃ - And when the children of your people say to you, saying: "Will you not tell us what these mean to you?"
The miracle will take place before the eyes of the people, and they will ask: What is the meaning of this? For the Holy One, blessed be He, does not perform a miracle in vain, and since the prophet took two sticks and they became one in his hand, there is surely a sign and a wonder here pointing to a deeper message.
דַּבֵּר אֲלֵהֶם כֹּה אָמַר אֲדֹנָי יֱהֹוִה הִנֵּה אֲנִי לֹקֵחַ אֶת עֵץ יוֹסֵף אֲשֶׁר בְּיַד אֶפְרַיִם וְשִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל חֲבֵרָו וְנָתַתִּי אוֹתָם עָלָיו אֶת עֵץ יְהוּדָה וַעֲשִׂיתִם לְעֵץ אֶחָד וְהָיוּ אֶחָד בְּיָדִי׃ - Speak to them: Thus said the Lord God: Behold, I am taking the stick of Yosef, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his companions, and I will place them with it onto the stick of Yehudah, and make them into one stick, and they shall be one in My hand.
To understand this verse, we need a brief introduction. As is known, there is Mashiach ben Yosef and there is Mashiach ben David. In the blessing of "Boneh Yerushalayim" (Builder of Jerusalem), we plead: "And dwell in Jerusalem Your city as You have spoken, and establish within it speedily the throne of David Your servant," and the holy Ari states that one should have in mind there that Mashiach ben Yosef should not be killed by the wicked Armilus. According to tradition, the holy Ari himself was worthy of being Mashiach ben Yosef, and when he said this to his students he was actually referring to himself, praying that he not die young - yet he did indeed pass away in the prime of his life, and had he lived, they would have attained the final redemption. In any case, one should always have this intention in mind, as it is written that Mashiach ben Yosef is destined to die if Israel lacks sufficient merits.
What is the significance of two Messiahs? Why wouldn't one suffice, avoiding dispute and division? Chazal taught that the initial stage of the redemption is entrusted to Mashiach ben Yosef, whose role is physical redemption - he will fight the wars of Israel against its enemies. Mashiach ben David, by contrast, is tasked with the spiritual redemption, and he will subsequently hold the scepter of kingship, since he descends from the dynasty of the House of Yehudah - as it says, "The scepter shall not depart from Yehudah" - and he will be the actual reigning king. Interestingly, some have remarked in jest that Mashiach must surely be Sephardic - after all, have you ever met an Ashkenazi named Mashiach, let alone Ben-David? In truth, long ago everyone was Eastern, for where did the Patriarchs come from? From Charan, in the region of Iraq. Beautiful too is the custom of Persian Jews, who pray "and bring near Mashiach" - to them it makes no difference who it is, so long as he arrives.
The Malbim explains: First, the tribes will need to unite. Yehudah and Binyamin present no difficulty, as they are known as the Jewish people today, whether living in the Land of Israel or scattered across the globe. Not so the Ten Tribes, the sons of Ephraim, whose whereabouts are unknown to us - beyond the Mountains of Darkness, beyond the river Gozan, and Chalach and Chavor, and the other places to which Sancheiriv exiled them, and their exact location has remained unknown ever since. There are remote tribes in which traces of Judaism are discovered from time to time, and some say this of the Ethiopians as well, but these are tenuous claims that can hardly be relied upon.
We have a tradition that Sephardim descend from the tribe of Yehudah and Ashkenazim from the tribe of Binyamin, and there are several indications of this, though not definitive proofs. The Yemenites, who were exiled as early as the First Temple era and did not return for the Second Temple, possess a tradition that they are from the tribe of Yehudah. Either way, this does not affect our subject, other than to show that the tribal identity is something destined to return.
Therefore, He commanded him to take two pieces of wood: to symbolize that in the end of days the tribes are destined to gather together. In the first stage, the ten lost and dispersed tribes will gather under the banner of Yosef, since Mashiach ben Yosef is the one who will gather the dispersed and fight the wars. This is the second piece of wood, "For Yosef, the stick of Ephraim," upon which Yehudah and his tribes will unite - and this is the meaning of "and I will place them upon it, with the stick of Yehudah." The stick of Yehudah comes in the second stage, which is the spiritual and internal redemption following the war and the physical redemption. And what is the meaning of "and they will become one in My hand"? At first, when Ephraim reigns, Yehudah will be one with him; and in the second stage, when kingship transfers to Yehudah, Ephraim will subordinate himself to Yehudah as it was in the beginning - and in either case, they will be one.
וְהָיוּ הָעֵצִים אֲשֶׁר תִּכְתֹּב עֲלֵיהֶם בְּיָדְךָ לְעֵינֵיהֶם׃ - "And the sticks upon which you write shall be in your hand before their eyes."
That is, he should not put them down from his hand nor erase the writing, but rather they must remain in his hand before their eyes, so that they will see the miracle continuously, serving as definitive proof for them.
וְדַבֵּר אֲלֵיהֶם כֹּה אָמַר אֲדֹנָי יֱהֹוִה הִנֵּה אֲנִי לֹקֵחַ אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מִבֵּין הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר הָלְכוּ שָׁם וְקִבַּצְתִּי אֹתָם מִסָּבִיב וְהֵבֵאתִי אוֹתָם אֶל אַדְמָתָם׃ - "And speak to them: Thus said the Lord Hashem: Behold, I am taking the children of Israel from among the nations where they have gone, and I will gather them from all around and bring them to their land."
This is a more detailed description of the very same prophecy that we read in the vision of the dry bones.
וְעָשִׂיתִי אֹתָם לְגוֹי אֶחָד בָּאָרֶץ בְּהָרֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וּמֶלֶךְ אֶחָד יִהְיֶה לְכֻלָּם לְמֶלֶךְ וְלֹא יִהְיוּ עוֹד לִשְׁנֵי גוֹיִם וְלֹא יֵחָצוּ עוֹד לִשְׁתֵּי מַמְלָכוֹת עוֹד׃ - "And I will make them into one nation in the land, upon the mountains of Israel, and one king shall be king over them all; and they shall no longer be two nations, nor shall they ever be divided into two kingdoms again."
I am bringing them to the Land, and here there will be one kingdom, one nation, and one king over them all - as we explained, at first Mashiach ben Yosef will reign over everyone, and after him Mashiach ben David over everyone. There will no longer be a state of division into two kingdoms, because all will serve Hashem with one accord. The verse is precise in its repetition of "no longer... again": just as in the past there was the kingdom of Ephraim and the kingdom of Yehudah, so here - at first Yehudah will join Ephraim, and afterwards Ephraim will join Yehudah. Therefore, the word is repeated, to teach that there will be no situation of division whatsoever, but always a state of unity.
וְלֹא יִטַּמְּאוּ עוֹד בְּגִלּוּלֵיהֶם וּבְשִׁקּוּצֵיהֶם וּבְכֹל פִּשְׁעֵיהֶם וְהוֹשַׁעְתִּי אֹתָם מִכֹּל מוֹשְׁבֹתֵיהֶם אֲשֶׁר חָטְאוּ בָהֶם וְטִהַרְתִּי אוֹתָם וְהָיוּ לִי לְעָם וַאֲנִי אֶהְיֶה לָהֶם לֵאלֹהִים׃ - "And they will no longer defile themselves with their idols, nor with their abominations, nor with all their transgressions; and I will save them from all their dwelling places wherein they sinned, and I will purify them, and they shall be My people, and I will be their God."
Initially, the ten tribes were defiled "with their idols and with their abominations," referring to idolatry; and regarding the tribe of Yehudah, the continuation of the verse states "and with all their transgressions," having been influenced by the sins of Ephraim, for everything began with Yerovam ben Nevat. Now He says: they will no longer be defiled. And in the second exile, the exile of Edom in which we currently find ourselves, the reality is that our very dwelling among the nations causes assimilation and spiritual decline from the path of Hashem. Therefore it says, "and I will save them from all their dwelling places" - from all those environments that drag them down spiritually, "wherein they sinned, and I will purify them, and they shall be My people, and I will be their God."
וְעַבְדִּי דָוִד מֶלֶךְ עֲלֵיהֶם וְרוֹעֶה אֶחָד יִהְיֶה לְכֻלָּם וּבְמִשְׁפָּטַי יֵלֵכוּ וְחֻקּוֹתַי יִשְׁמְרוּ וְעָשׂוּ אוֹתָם׃ - "And My servant David shall be king over them, and there shall be one shepherd for them all; and they shall follow My ordinances, and observe My statutes, and perform them."
In the second stage, "My servant David will be king over them" - David will reign after Mashiach ben Yosef. Malbim distinguishes among three titles: "king" - in that he is chosen for kingship; "shepherd" - in that he leads the people with compassion and mercy, as a shepherd tends his flock and shows compassion to his sheep; and "prince" - an expression of exaltedness and elevation, as it is said, "You are a prince of God among us," and "He shall be raised and exalted and lofty indeed," meaning he is elevated above all the people.
וְיָשְׁבוּ עַל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר נָתַתִּי לְעַבְדִּי לְיַעֲקֹב אֲשֶׁר יָשְׁבוּ בָהּ אֲבוֹתֵיכֶם וְיָשְׁבוּ עָלֶיהָ הֵמָּה וּבְנֵיהֶם וּבְנֵי בְנֵיהֶם עַד עוֹלָם וְדָוִד עַבְדִּי נָשִׂיא לָהֶם לְעוֹלָם׃ - And they shall dwell on the land that I gave to My servant Jacob, wherein your fathers dwelt; and they shall dwell upon it, they and their children and their children's children forever, and David My servant shall be a prince to them forever.
They will dwell on the land as a permanent acquisition and not as a temporary holding. Why is Jacob mentioned specifically, when the Land was promised to Abraham and Isaac as well? Because with Jacob, an event occurred that alludes to the two pieces of wood here: the stones that he took and placed around his head, which all merged into a single stone. What happened to the pieces of wood here happened to the stones with Jacob, and what occurred with Jacob foreshadows the future - that all twelve stones are destined to reunite once again, despite the division that would exist between them. Therefore, it says, "that I gave to My servant Jacob." "And they shall dwell upon it, they and their children and their children's children forever" - there will no longer be fear, nor anyone threatening them or wishing to cast them into the sea. "And David My servant shall be a prince to them forever" - from the connotation of being elevated and exalted above everyone.
Malbim explains: There are three promises here. First, that they will inherit the Land forever. Second, that the Davidic dynasty will be restored. Third, that the covenant between us and Hashem will never cease, but will endure forever and for all eternity.
וְכָרַתִּי לָהֶם בְּרִית שָׁלוֹם בְּרִית עוֹלָם יִהְיֶה אוֹתָם וּנְתַתִּים וְהִרְבֵּיתִי אוֹתָם וְנָתַתִּי אֶת מִקְדָּשִׁי בְּתוֹכָם לְעוֹלָם׃ - And I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them, and I will place them and multiply them, and I will set My sanctuary in their midst forever.
Malbim explains: "A covenant of peace" encompasses peace between us and Hashem, peace within the nation itself, as well as peace in one's body, peace in one's money, and peace in one's property. And this is an "everlasting covenant" - that they will suffer no lack, no affliction, and no harm.
And what is "and I will set My sanctuary in their midst"? Malbim explains: The people of Israel will reach such an elevated spiritual level that the Shechinah will truly dwell within them, and they will not require the sanctity of the Ark and the Temple to connect with Hashem; rather, "My sanctuary in their midst" means within each and every individual. Nevertheless, there will still be a Beit HaMikdash and a Mishkan, but this will be for the nations, so that they may witness Hashem's closeness to His people and the exceptional love that Israel enjoys before the Omnipresent.
וְהָיָה מִשְׁכָּנִי עֲלֵיהֶם וְהָיִיתִי לָהֶם לֵאלֹהִים וְהֵמָּה יִהְיוּ לִי לְעָם׃ - My dwelling place shall be over them, and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
Malbim adds another distinction: "My dwelling place shall be over them" means that I will cause My Shechinah to rest upon them - that they themselves will be like a chariot for the Shechinah, like the Holy Patriarchs, and the Shechinah will shelter them individually. By contrast, "My sanctuary in their midst" means that a Beit HaMikdash will be built for them, which serves the needs of the nations. Furthermore: "My dwelling place shall be over them" depends on their own strength and an awakening from below (it'aruta d'letata) - there must be an awakening on their part and through their own will, and then they will merit it. But "My sanctuary in their midst" is not through an awakening from below, but through an awakening from Above (it'aruta d'le'eila), for out of Hashem's will, the Beit HaMikdash will be made for us.
וְיָדְעוּ הַגּוֹיִם כִּי אֲנִי יְהֹוָה מְקַדֵּשׁ אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּהְיוֹת מִקְדָּשִׁי בְּתוֹכָם לְעוֹלָם׃ - And the nations shall know that I, Hashem, sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forever.
You yourselves will not need the Beit HaMikdash, for all of you will attain an immensely high spiritual level. However, so that the nations will know that I, Hashem, sanctify Israel - when they see the Shechinah resting upon the Beit HaMikdash, something visible to the eye - they will know that this comes from Hashem, transcending the natural order, through His blessed will, not by an awakening from below, but solely through an awakening from Above.
In this section of the chapter, the Holy One, blessed be He, tells Israel that their graves will be opened - whether in its literal sense, at the Resurrection of the Dead (Techiyat HaMeitim), or as an allegory for the nation buried in its exile. Radak and the Malbim debate whether the rising will take place outside the Land of Israel or through rolling through underground caverns (gilgul mecholot), and both perspectives are true. The expression "My people" (Ami) teaches that this elevation to eternal life is meant for the righteous. Afterward, the prophet is commanded to take two sticks of wood, the stick of Yehudah and the stick of Yosef, and unite them in his hand - an allusion to the unification of the tribes in the End of Days: first Mashiach ben Yosef and the physical redemption, followed by Mashiach ben David and the spiritual redemption, until they become one nation and one kingdom that will never be divided again. Hashem will then purify them from their idols and transgressions, settle them on their land forever, seal an eternal covenant of peace with them, and rest His Shechinah over them and within them, and the Beit HaMikdash will stand before the eyes of the nations as a sign that Hashem sanctifies Israel. May it be His will that we merit all of this speedily in our days, Amen v'Amen.